Refrigeration



' 0d. 6,' 194 2. (5, BLOMQVIST 2,298,029-

I REFRIGERATION v Filed March '7, 1940 Patented Oct. 6, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,298,029

REFRIGERATION Gustav Marten Blomqvist, Stockholm, Sweden, assignor, by mesne assignments, to Servel, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application March 7,- 1940, Serial No. 322,682

Claims. (01. 62-1195) My invention relates to refrigeration, and it is an object of the invention to provide an improved multiple absorber arrangement for use in "ab,- sorption refrigeration systems.

In United States Letters Patent No. 1,908,901

to D. B. Knight and No. 2,066,660 to A. R. Thomas areshown absorption refrigeration systems with multiple absorbers and provision for dividing flow of absorption liquid among the absorbers for the In a co reasons explained in those patents. ance with the present invention there are prov,vided cross connections between the absorbers in such an arrangement made in a manner to provide for flow'of substantially equal quantities of absorption liquid throughout the absorbers even though the division of liquid for flow to the several absorbers may become unequal, as set forth in the following description in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification and of which the single figure shows more or less diagrammatically a refrigeration system provided with a multiple absorber arrangement embodying the invention.

The refrigerator system includes a generator In having a flue II which is heated in any suit-' 32 connects the space 30 with a similar space 33 formed at the other end of gas heat exchanger 3|. The tubes 32 extend through a central space 34 which is separated from the end spaces 33 and 33 by headers 35 and 36. The lower end of sorbers 44 and 45, having cooling fins and Q 4ia, respectively. Each absorber is provided with a plurality of vertically spaced liquid re-- taining trays 46. Each tray is formed with one or more apertures 41 surrounded by raised rims able manner, as by a gas burner l2, for example. A jacket l3 disposed about flue ll provides an j annular space l4. A conduit I5 is connected to the upper part of space H and is provided with heat radiating fins IE to form an air cooled rectifler.

nected to one end of a condenser l8. The opposite or lower end of condenser I8 is connected to jacket H. A conduit l9 extends upwardly from the upper end of jacket i1 and is connected to the upper'end of a condenser 23.

The conduit l5 extends upwardly through a a jacket l1 and the upper end thereof is con- 43. Conduits 49 and'53 connect the upperparts of absorbers 44 and 45 to a conduit 5| whichin turn is connected to the space 33 of the gas heat exchanger 3|.

A conduit 52 is connected to the lower part V of space l4 in the generator l0 and one end of an outer jacket 53 of a liquid heat exchanger 54. A conduit 55 is connected to the other end of the jacket 53 and terminates within the upper I part of a liquid distributing vessel 56. To .the lower=part of vessel 38 are connected conduits 31 and 58 'whichextend into the spaces above the uppermost trays 43 in the absorbers 44 and 45.

The lower end of condenser 23 is connected bya vertical conduit 2| and a horizontal conduit 22 to one end of cooling element or evaporator 23 disposed within a thermallyinsulated space of a refrigerator-cabinet 24. The evaporator 23 is provided wlth'heat transfer fins 23, and dam 23a is located in the lower part thereof adjacent;

to the and opposite to that to which conduit 2| is'connected.

' A conduit 26 is connected to the lower of evaporator 23 beyond the dam 23a and to a cool ing element or evaporator 21 which is shown in.

the former a pipe coil. A conduit "connects the bottomof jacket I! with an intermediate point of evaporator 21.

A conduit 23 connects the upper end'oi evaporator 21 and a space 30 formed at one end 01' plurality of 55 a gas. heat exchanger 3|.

The inner diameters of conduits 31 and 33 are so chosen that'these' conduitsare filled with liquid during operation of the refrigeration system.

thereby tending to equalize the distribution of liquid to the two absorbers 44 and 45 even though the system may be so positioned that the conduits 51 and 53 are not perfectly horizontal.

A conduit 33 is connected to absorber at a point just above the uppersuriace of an intermediate tray 46a. The conduit 39 extends downdiate tray 43b therein. The upper end of a siini- ,lar conduit 33 is connected to absorber 44 at a wardly and the lower end-thereof is connected to absorber 44 at a point just above an intermepointjust above another intermediate tray 43c and the lower end thereof is connected to absorber 43- at a point just above an intermediate tray 43d. y

One end 01' a conduit 8| is'connected tothe bottom of absorber-43 and-extends through the Jacket 33 of the liquid heat exchanger I. and

iliary agent or inert gas, such as hydrogen. The

heating 'of generator I by the burner |2 causes ammonia to be expelled from solution in space l4, and the expelled ammoma vapor flows through the conduit l5 and air cooled rectifier i5 to the condenser I8.

The ammonia vapor is liquefied in condenser l8 and flows therefrom to the jacket l1 which serves as a liquid cooled rectifier for ammonia vapor flowing to the condenser l8. Ammonia vapor not liquefied in condenser l8 flows through jacket l1 and the conduit I9 to the condenser in which it is liquefied.

When suflicient liquid accumulates in jacket l1, liquid flows therefrom through conduit 23 into evaporator 21. Liquid ammoniain'evaporator 21 evaporates and diffuses into the hydrogen gas which enters through the conduit 29, thereby producing a refrigerating effect. The rich gas mixture of amonia and hydrogen formed in evaporator 21 flows into the central or outer passage .34 of gas heat exchanger 3 I.

Liquid formed in condenser 20 and flowing through conduits 2| and 22 into evaporator 23 evaporates and diffuses into rich gas which circulates therethrough, thereby producing a refrigerating effect and precooling liquid flowingthrough conduit 25 to evaporator 21.

Since rich gas flows through evaporator 23 ,through conduits 31 and 33 while gas weak in refrigerant enters evaporator 21 through conduit 23, the gasin evaporator 23 contains a greater amount of ammonia vapor than the gas in evaporator 21, and hence evaporation of liquid takes place at a higher temperature in evaporator 23 than in evaporator 21.

The evaporator 23 may be primarily employed for cooling the thermally insulated space of refrigerant cabinet 24 and is formed with the heat transfer fins 25 to provide a relatively extensive heat transfer surface. The evaporator 23 is preferably provided with a limited heat transfer surface and may be employed as a freezing unit since evaporation of liquid takes place at a lower temperature therein.

The rich gas mixture formed in evaporator 23 flows therefrom through conduit 38 into the central or outer passage 34 of gas heat exchanger 3|. From the space or outer passage 34 of gas heat exchanger 3| the rich gas mixture from the evaporators 23 and 21 flows through the conduit 4| and the branch conduits 42 and 43 to the lower parts of the absorbers 44 and 45. ture flows upwardly through each absorber 44 and 45, such upward path of flow for the gas hydrogen gas,'and hydrogen gas weak in ammonia vapor flows from the absorbers through conduits 49- and 50, conduit 5|, the plurality of tubes 32 forming the inner passage of gas heat exchanger The gas mix- 3|, and conduit 29 into the upper part of evaporator 21. The circulation of inert gas or hydrogen just described is due to the difference in speciflc weight of the columns of hydrogen rich and weak, respectively, in ammonia vapor, whereby a force is produced or developed ,within the system to cause circulation of gas in the gas circuit. 4

Absorption liquid enriched'in ammonia flows from the lower parts of absorbers 44 and 45, the absorption liquid flowing from the absorber 44 through conduit 53 mixing with absorption liquid flowing from absorber 45 through conduit 5|. After passing through the liquid heat exchanger 54, the enriched absorption liquid enters the coil 62 in which liquid is raised by vapor-liquid lift action through tube into the upper part of generator I0. Ammonia vapor expelled out of solution in the space H, together with vapor entering i through tube 65, flows upwardly through conduit l5 into condenser 20, as explained above.

Absorption liquid from which refrigerant has been expelled flows from generator I0 through conduit 52, jacket 53 of'liquid heat exchanger 54, and conduit 55 into the distributing vessel 56. This circulation of absorption liquid is effected by raising ofliquid in tube by vapor-liquid lift action. From vessel 55 liquid flows by gravity and is distributed through the conduits 51 and 53 to the upper ends of the absorbers 44 and 45. Since great difliculty is encountered in eilecting the desired distribution oi liquid in a plurality of absorbers, provision is made to obtain a desired circulation of the absorption liquid. In this embodiment the liquid introduced through conduit 51. into the upper part of absorber 44 flows downwardly by gravity over the trays 45 until the liquid reaches the intermediate tray 48c. Instead of forming a pool on this tray of sufficient depth to overflow the rim 48a, the liquid flows through the conduit 50 to the tray 4541 in absorber 45. In

a similar manner, the liquid entering the upperpart of absorber 45 through conduit 53 flows equal distribution of rich gas flowing there through from the branch conduits 42 and 43;

and it is also desirable to efiect an equal distribution of weak absorption liquid flowing to the upper'parts of the absorbers through the con-'- duits 51 and 58. In the event that more liquid flows into the upper part of absorber 45 through conduit 58 than to the upper part of absorber 44 through conduit 51, then a greater quantity of liquid will flow over the trays 45 in the upper upper part of absorber 44. cross-over or cross-flow connection conduits 53 ,and 50, however, the greater quantity of liquid flowing through theupper part of absorber 45 is diverted through the conduit 59 and such greater quantity of liquid will flow over the trays 45 in the lower part of absorber 44. Likewise, the smaller quantity of liquid flowing in the upper part of absorber 44 is diverted through conduit 50 and such smaller quantity will flow through the lower part of absorber 45. With the absorption liquid circulation provided, therefore, the

plurality ofabsorbers disposed in side-by-side total amount of liquid flowing through one absorber is substantially the same as that flowing through the other, even though unequal quantities of liquid may be initially supplied to the absorbers.

What is claimed is:

1. In refrigeration apparatus of an absorption type having a generator, an evaporator, a plurality of absorbers, and members forming a circuit forgas from said evaporator through said relation and substantially at the same elevation,

connections for flowing refrigerant fluid to said absorbers in parallel, connections for flowing absorpton liquid to said absorbers in parallel, and conduits interconnecting said absorbers'for directing flow of absorbtion liquid through parts of difierent ones of said absorbers in series;

I 4. In an absorption refrigeration system having a plurality of absorbers, means for conducting refrigerant fluid through said absorbers in parallel, means for conducting absorption liquid to and from each of said absorbers individually,

and means for causing exchange of absorption liquid between said absorbers at places in said absorbers in the path of flow of liquid there- I through.

5. In an absorption refrigeration system, an

' evaporator, a plurality of absorbers, means for absorbers each having a plurality of vertically spaced liquid retaining trays, connections for introducing liquid onto the upper trays in each of said absorbers, and cross-over connections for conducting liquid from each of said absorbers to another of said absorbers belowsaid upper trays,

whereby substantially equal quantities of liquid flow through each of said absorbers even though unequal quantities of liquid may be initially supl plied to said upper trays.

3. In an absorption refrigeration system containing refrigerant fluid and absqrption liquid, a

supplying refrigerant fluid to said evaporator, means for conducting auxiliary fluid in a circuit through said evaporator and through said ab-' sorbers, the fluid flowing through said absorbers in parallel streams, means for flowing a stream of absorption liquid to each of said absorbers,

-means for withdrawing absorption liquid from each of said absorbers, and means for exchanging liquid between said absorbers at substantially corresponding points in the path of flow of liquid therethrough.

GUSTAV MARTEN BLoMQvrs'r. 

